Beaches are restored when beach-quality sand is brought in to counter the effects of erosion. The process helps protect the beach in a storm, restore wildlife habitats and boost an area’s recreation economy.

Burien nominated its park for consideration. Judges selected the top four beaches based on each park’s economic and ecological benefits, the short- and long-term success of the restoration project and the challenges each community overcame to restore the beach.

Here’s what the ASBPA had to say about Burien’s park:

The Seahurst Park Project is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-funded effort through a Project Partnership Agreement with the city of Burien. Seahurst Park’s South Shoreline restoration project has reinvigorated a park and a fragile ecosystem. The design has restored the physical connection between the natural beach and its sediment supply.

The restored beach supports federally listed threatened and endangered species such as Chinook salmon. Residents of Burien and other communities throughout the region visit Seahurst Park to learn about the environment and enjoy the park’s shorelines. The Corps’ Seattle District has completed a general investigation and feasibility study for Puget Sound restoration.

The project was the first one funded by the Corps’ “Puget Sound and Adjacent Waters” program and has effectively served as a prototype project for addressing many Puget Sound ecosystem restoration issues, including bulkheading and sediment supply.

To enter the Best Restored Beach competition, coastal communities nominated their projects for consideration, and an independent panel of coastal managers and scientists selected the winners. Judging was based on three criteria: the economic and ecological benefits the beach brings to its community; the short- and long-term success of the restoration project; and the challenges each community overcame during the course of the project.